The 1996 Sonoma State Cossacks football team represented Sonoma State University as a member of the Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC) during the 1996 NCAA Division II football season.
Led by fourth-year head coach Frank Scalercio, Sonoma State compiled an overall record of 2–8 with a mark of 2–2 in conference play, placing second in the NCAC.
1996 was the last year Sonoma State played intercollegiate football.
On December 9, the school announced it was dropping the football program citing budget constraints.
[1] Scalercio finished his tenure at Sonoma State with an overall record of 7–30–1, for a winning percentage of .197.